Life boat release gear



' June 25, 1963 w. F. HICKSON LIFE BOAT RELEASE GEAR 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 5, 1957 INVEN TOR. lV/ZA/fl/V f. 19/04 50 a June 25, 1963 w, HICKSQN 3,094,720

LIFE BOAT RELEASE GEAR Filed Nov. 5, 1957 4 Sheefs-Sheet 2 g 44 7V 1%? FIG 3 \7 2w ii A? N 17 a I I 7'4 7/ IIIII 'IIIA o I 6 INVEN TOR. Q Q bV/ZA/fi/VE b70160 June 25, 1963 w. FLHlCKSQN 3,0 ,7

LIFE BOAT RELEASE GEAR Filed NOV. 5, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 6 4 a $2 /1 n, n

I I1 I e I l 57 6 FIG. 7 I

INVENTOR.

avg 7% June 25, 1963 w. F. HICKSON LIFE BOAT RELEASE GEAR 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 5, 1957 INVENTOR. Mum F IL/KASOY Anne/v6) 1 ire ts te and Boat Division), Perth Amhoy, N1, a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 5, 1957, Set. No. 694,548 1 Claim. or. 9-45 The present invention relates to life boat release gear and it particularly relates to life boat release gear of the Rottmer type.

There is frequently dimculty in life boat release gears particularly of the Rottmer type where it is desired to assure smooth and effective operation of such gear either during testing or trial operation with the ship being at sea or at dock as well as under adverse conditions which are experienced when rescue operations are necessary.

It is important that the release gear be not inadvertently released when the life boat is being lowered from its d'avits or is being lowered along the side of the ship and that the release only take place when the boat is in contact with the water.

Furthermore it is quite important that the release of the lifeboat from its falls takes place without diiliculty when the boat is water-borne without any likelihood of jamming or failure to disengage because of improper operation of the release bearings.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a reliable release gear system for life boats which will give assurance that there will be a reliable release of the boat when water-borne without likelihood of jamming or failure on the part of the control hearings to properly release the various falls attachments.

In the usual type of release gear to which the present invention is particularly directed, the release bearing structure has a vertical member which is supported in bearing eyes or other bearing structures which are separated by substantially the height of the boat as is shown in the Rottmer Patent 2,120,923.

It has been -found that misalignment and jamming frequently results with inability of the part of the operator of the release gear to satisfactorily release the falls therefrom.

It is therefore among the specific objects of the present invention to provide a release gear which will at all times be aligned and may be readily released by a person in the 'boat without hearing adjustments and without the need fora mechanic to be present to correct any malfunction in the release operation.

Still further objects and advantages will appear in the more detailed description set forth below, it being understood, however, that this more detailed description is giverr by way of illustration and explanation only and not :by way of limitation, since various changes therein may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

In accomplishing the above objects, it has been found most satisfactory according to one embodiment of the present invention to provide a bearing structure for the release gear which will consist of a roller bearing directly superimposed upon an elongated guide bearing without substantial separation between the roller bearing and the guide hearing.

The roller bearing is desirably shorter than the guide bearing with the roller bearing carrying the major portion of the weight of the structure and with the guide bearing preventing jamming or uneven alignment as may militate against the effective release of the gear.

By this combination bearing rather than separated hearing and by providing a long oblique connection from the rod or shaft along the floor of the boat most effective,

reliable and rapid operation of the release gear will be obtained.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists of a novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter will be more specifically described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications can be resorted to which fall within the scope of the claim hereunto appended.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a side fragmentary elevational view of the front of a lifeboat structure showing the release gear in its normal position in solid lines and in its released position in dotted lines.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the actuatin equipment for operating the release gear of FIG. 1 which is normally positioned at the central floor or keel position of the lifeboat.

FIG. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken upon the line 3-3 of FIG. :1 upon an enlarged scale as compared to :FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken upon the line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the breastplate construction taken upon the line 55 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a transverse longitudinal sectional view taken upon the line 6-6 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken upon the line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a transverse sectional view taken upon the line 88 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 7a is a top plan view of the hook member forming part of the release gear separated from the assembly.

FIG. 8a is a side elevational view of the hook member taken from position 8a-8a of FIG. 7a.

FIG. 9 is an end elevational view taken from position 9-9 of FIG. 7a.

FIG. 10 is a front elevational view of the hook taken from position 10-10 of FIG. 8a.

FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic view showing the position of the hook nose or bill between the plates of the swinging member shown in section to illustrate how it fills up the gap.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a boat keel A with a breast plate B.

The vertical upright member C, which may consist of part of the hoist plate or bar, is held in position by means of the connection link or stabilizer bar D and at its upper end; it supports the hook E, the swinging latch F, and the double bearing structure G and H.

The actuating mechanism J has an extension 89 along the floor or bottom of the boat and it has an upwardly extending handle L serving as a release lever.

The keel of the boat A, as shown in FIG. 1, has the plates 10 and 11 which may be mounted on the keel by welding or riveting (see also FIGS. 3 and 4).

The lower plate '10 has a pivotal connection 12 to the sandwich plates 13-.

The upper ends of the sandwich plates 14, as indicated at FIG. 3, are Welded, bolted or riveted to the bar or plate member 15 which constitutes part of the hoist plate or bar C.

This hoist plate or bar has a relatively wide upper section 16, as shown in FIG. 1, which is pivotally connected at 17 (see also FIG. 4) to the two side plates 18.

These side plates .18 extend to the ear plate :11 mounted on the keel A.

They are connected to the ear or plate 11 by the pivot pin or bolt 19.

To the top of the plate section 16 by the pivot 3% is mounted the base 31 of the hook E.

The hook E has a bill portion 32 desirably of duck bill shape, which is convergent as shown in FIG. 1, as it extends downwardly but which widens laterally between the plates 33 of the latch or preventer bar .34.

The latch plates or the preventer bar 34- are pivotally mounted at 35 on the plate section 16 and they have the rearwardly and upwardly extending portions 3-5 which contract the stock plate or bar 37 and stop them in the forward position, as shown in FIG. 1.

The plates 34 extend alongside of the nose or bill 32 of the hook E and prevent the falls from leaving the space within the hook. The bar 37 is separate from the portions 36 and is mounted upon the section 16.

The falls will normally pass through the open space 33 and they will be released when the hook E swings, as indicated by the dot and dash line 39, to its inverted position with the tail 4%} at the end of the extension 51 in upright position.

In this position, the falls will be removed from the recess 38 in the direction of the arrow 42.

The actual release structure is best shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8.

The upper needle bearing G is shorter than the lower guide bearing H and they directly abut each other along the line 55.

The upper needle bearing G has split eye sections 56 which are held by the plates 57 bolted at 58 to the plate section 16.

These needle bearings consist of bronze needle rollers 59 which fit loosely in the eye recess 6% and constitute the primary bearing of the combination GH.

The lower bearing eye 61 supports the lower ends of the needle bearings 59 and holds them in the recess 6t! and it has a long eye section 62 with a center lubricant channel 63 which guides the bearing and prevents jamming or stressing, being applied to the needle bearings 59.

Normally the needle bearings 59 will take up about seventy-five percent of the main load or thrust while the guide bearing H will take up about twenty-five percent and guide the needle bearings so that there will be uniform stress on each needle bearing throughout the entire periphery.

The central shaft member 64- extends in one piece through the lower bearing structure H and the upper hearing structure G and it terminates in a lower eye 65 having a shoulder 66 and an upper cup 67 having the shoulder 68.

The cup 67 has a recess 69 which receives the tail 4%" at the lower end of the hook E.

In the position, as shown in FIG. 6, the tail will be held in position by the cup 67 against swinging, as indicated at 39 in FIG. 1.

However, when the shaft 64 is turned by means of a. connection to the eye 65 through an angle of 180, the tail 4t? may then swing outwardly and upwardly, as indicated by the arc 39 of FIG. 1..

The unitary shaft 64 with the shoulders 66 and 68 in conjunction with the upper short needle bearings 59 and the long guide bearings 62 will give an anti-jamming hearing which will avoid any misalignment tending to cause jamming and malfunction of the release gear.

The upper and lower bearings may be readily engaged with the shaft 64 by the split connections at 7th and 71.

It will be noted that the lower eye section 6 2 is also mounted upon the plate 16 by the extensions 72 which are bolted in position, as indicated at 73.

The additional bolts '74 will clamp the split sections around the shaft 64-, as shown in FIG. 6.

The operation of the eye 65 to turn the shaft 64 is accomplished by the clevis 85 which engages the eye 65 4 and has a tube or pipe 36 forming part of the actuating connection I (see the left of FIG. 1).

Referring to FIG. 2, the pipe 86 will terminate in the eye 87 which has a universal connection to the clevis 88.

The clevis 88 in turn is connected to the piping 89 which emends longitudinally along the floor or bottom of the boat.

The piping 89 passes through the eye $8 of the release lever L which has an upright section 91 terminating in the handle member 92.

The handle member 92, when moved to the side, will rotate the tube 39 which will rotate the tube 66 and will turn the eye 65 and the shaft section 64 to release the tail ill from the cup 67.

it will be noted that the oblique connection 1 including the tube 86 extends sharply, obliquely upwardly from the floor of the boat to substantially the position of the release gear, as shown at the left of FIG. 1.

A long vertical connection along the end post or hoist bar C is altogether avoided and the torque applied to the shaft 6% is applied substantially directly from the horizontal tubular member I without a long vertical rotat ing member along the end post C.

It has been found that this eliminates any jamming or tendency toward misalignment either on trial operations or during actual emergencies.

The long bearing structure H apparently guides the short shaft 64 so that the stress will be uniformly taken up by the peripheral circle of needle bearing 59.

Referring to FIG. 5, the breast-plate B is shown as extending between the keel A, and the support plate Hit).

The gunwale act may be welded or otherwise be connected to the plate 182.

The breast-plate will also be supported on the plate 1%.

The plates 1% and 1% reenforce the breast-plate con struction.

It is thus apparent that the present applicant has provided a novel :and reliable mechanism of a Rottrner type release gear which may be employed without substantial increase in cost and with elimination of extended bearing constructions extending along the front and rear bolt posts.

While there has been herein described a preferred form of the invention, it should be understood that the same may be altered in details and in relative arrangement of parts within the scope of the appended claim.

FIGS. 76! to 11 show the novel duck bill hook element which prevents inadvertent release of the falls and in which the nose or bill of the hook is widened laterally and narrowed fore and aft so that its cross-section will be elliptical with the elipse having an increasing length downwardly and if desired a decreasing Width at its median portion.

This is a contrast to the type of nose or bill which has a circular cross-section and which does not fill the gap between the double preventer bar.

This flattened laterally extending nose or bill portion of the hook will extend substantially the entire distance between the double preventer bar, so that there is no likelihood of any ring or other connection to the falls dropping out of position between the preventer bar and the hook.

By use of such an arrangement, it is possible to have a greater assurance of safe and reliable operation withoutthe likelihood of premature or accidental disengagement of the tackle or falls which connect the release gear to the davit structure.

As indicated in FIGS. 7a to 11 the hook E has a depending widened hook or bill portion 32, which will extend sufficiently laterally to fill substantially the entire space between the legs of the U-shaped preventer bar F of FIG. 11.

The sides 1131 of the hook E are flattened so that the inside faces 13.2 of the side plates 133 of the preventer bar may swing across them in holding or latching the end of the falls or tackles in position on the hook E.

The hook E as shown in FIGS. 7a to 11 extends upwardly, as indicated at 134- and 135, joins the base structure which has rearwardly extending clevis flanges 136, having the openings 137 to receive a trunnion or axle.

It will be noted that the cavity or recess 140 between the plates 136 terminates at 141 short of the base structure 135.

The base structure 135 is provided with an extension or tail portion 142.

The low end of the tail portion 142 has a cylindrical downward extending stud 40 which is received in a pivotal socket or recess.

The preventer bar assembly or latch as shown in FIG. 11 consists of the side plates 133, which are spaced apart by means of the tubular spacer member 180.

The tubular spacer member 1180 and the assembly of the plates .133 are held together by the bolt 182 and the nut 183.

The close adjuxtaposition between the side edges 132 of the bill as shown in FIG. 9 and the inside faces 132 of the preventer bar assembly of FIG. 11 will give assurance that the fall or tackle will not fall out of position until the tail 40 of the hook E is released.

The invention has thus provided a much safer construction, more reliable in operation, which will not readily become deranged.

As many changes could be made in the above life boat release gear, and many widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of the claim, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

The present application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 375,961, filed Aug. 24, 1953, now Pat. No. 2,811,729, dated Nov. 5, 1957.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, what is claimed is:

A lifeboat release gear comprising a lifeboat having a bow portion and a keel portion, a swinging, reversible falls-engaging hook having a bill portion and a tail portion mounted on each of said bow and keel portions of said lifeboat, two rotatably mounted open-sided cup members, one of said open-sided cup members engaging said tail portion of each of said hooks in one position and releasing said tail portion for pivotal movement when rotated with respect to said one position, two short shaft members each having two ends, each of said short shaft members being fixed at one of its ends to one of said open-sided cups, two obliquely extending shaft members each having two ends, one end of each of said obliquely extending shaft members being fixed to the other end of one of said short shaft members through a universal connection, a longitudinally extending shaft member having two ends, each end of said longitudinally extending shaft member being fixed to the other end of one of said obliquely extending shaft members through a universal connection, a vertically extending handle fixed to said longitudinally extending shaft member approximately midway between its ends, a double-bearing assembly rotatably supporting each of said short shaft members, each of said double-bearing assemblies consisting of an upper short needle bearing and a lower longer shaft bearing circumscribing, and extending the full length of, said short shaft member and being in abutting relationship with each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,475,617 Allbin Nov. 27, 1923 1,515,517 Overman Nov. 11, 1924 2,094,251 Young Sept. 28, 1937 2,120,923 Rottmer June 14, 1938 2,337,290 Yost Dec. 21, 1943 2,384,872 Baker Sept. 18, 1945 2,659,636 Weelis Nov. 17, 1953 2,800,667 Staudt July 30, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 390,313 France July 24, 1908 

